January is often a season of envisioning the journey of the year ahead, including making resolutions. As you do these things, I hope you will include something about your commitment to your spiritual life and your commitment to our common spiritual home. Your personal spiritual life – the practices that help you to make meaning out of the brokenness and out of the beauty of living – is a vital part of your health and wellbeing. Our common spiritual home – a community that partners with you to offer experiences of grounding, growth, inspiration, and activism – is a vital part of creating a sustainable spiritual space for yourself and for hundreds of other adults and children.
What we do together and what we offer one another matters significantly and not only in the lives of our members, but also in the extended communities in which we participate. Our families, our friends, our workplaces, our volunteer placements… all these are spaces with people who benefit from what we gain, give, and share with one another in our congregation. Ultimately, the difference we can make in one another’s lives is the sum of all the myriad gifts that we commit to one another and to First Unitarian Portland.
So, in other words, you and your unique gifts – what you long to do, what you like to do, what you’re good at, what you’d like to learn, what you have, and who you are – are some of the greatest potential treasures of our spiritual home. How you decide to apportion these gifts is well worth thinking about at the dawn of another year.
It is my hope that some consideration will be given as to how you can apply these gifts to your own spiritual journey, to our cooperative spiritual home, and to the greater good of the extended communities in which you participate. When I reflect on the meaning of joining and participating in our congregation, here are four topics that offer fodder for your New Year’s aspirations.
- Nourish your spirit. Find activities and cultivate practices that foster a well-rounded-and-grounded spiritual life. These are the experiences that connect you to something beyond yourself and deep within yourself and invite love to be centered in your life.
- Share your talents. Consider volunteering and matching your interest or talents to support our programming, which includes worship and music, lifelong learning, caring and community building, leadership, advocacy and service.
- Share your treasure. Be generous and help us turn our vision into a reality – well run programs for children, youth and adults, care for facilities, justice projects – all of these exist because people like you give of their time, talent and treasure.
- Live Our Values Out Loud. Act upon Unitarian Universalist values beyond our walls. You might join one of FUP’s social justice initiatives, or you might be inspired by us to get involved with another community service or advocacy organization.
Consider Deepening Your Connection Through Membership. If you are ready to join our community in membership today, please make an appointment with me or our membership engagement coordinator, Jen Thomas, and don’t forget to come to the next First Steps Class.
Membership packet is available upon request. In March, the First Steps class will be solely dedicated to joining in membership. All necessary paperwork and support in deepening your relationship with First Unitarian Portland will be available.
To make an appointment with me, go to my Calendly.
May this season of new beginnings guide you to a place where love leads and your spirit follows.
In faith,
Rev. Alison